Guilty as Charged
by thepeacockandthebutterfly
Summary: The gun was heavy in her hand, the blood smeared across her suit quickly drying, the light in his eyes slowly fading. But she knew when she looked into his glossy dead eyes that this was her fault...and she would have to pay the price for her mistakes, even if the world was destroyed in the process.
1. Number 1: Loved Him to Death

**I was bored...and then this came out...don't kill me please**

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 **Guilty as Charged**

 **by thepeacockandthebutterfly**

 **Number 1: Loved Him to Death**

Ladybug held the gun to Chat's head, hands trembling. "P-please," she whispered, sky blue eyes begging the villain to free her from his will.

But Hawkmoth would not be deterred, his cold silvery blue eyes locked on the sight of the two heroes before him.

Chat refused to show any fear, despite the fact that he was shaking. He knew that, in the end, he was dispensable, but his lady was not. "Do it, M'Lady," he said, voice hardened as to not let his emotions show. He didn't want to cry, didn't want to give Hawkmoth te satisfaction.

Ladybug's jaw tightened, as did her grip on the slender metal weapon in her palm. She clicked off the safety with an eerie precision, trying to detach herself from the situation so that it was like she was watching it unfold from above, Ladybug took another deep breath, steeling herself to do it. She turned her huge blue orbs back towards Hawkmoth, nonverbally pleading one last time.

Hawkmoth sneered. "Listen to your cat boy, Ladybug, do it." His voice held no pity for her, only spite and something akin to triumph.

"I love you, chaton, I love you and I'm so sorry," Ladybug whispered, her careful control over her tears slipping. A solitary tear drop dripped down her cheek, leaving a salty trail of water on the pale skin.

He turned to look up at her then, a complicated emotion filling his glowing green eyes. "I have always loved you, M'Lady," he said, not bothering to conceal the slight bitterness that came with the knowledge that he was about to die. Bitterness that Ladybug had spent so many years with him trying to run from her feelings and she only accepted them when he was seconds away from death.

Ladybug whimpered slightly, guilt flooding her at the almost accusing time Chat had adopted. "I'm sorry, chaton," she repeated, slim fingers beginning to pull back on the trigger.

Chat kept his head facing straight towards Hawkmoth, but he began to mutter under his breath to Ladybug. "I love you too, Ladybug, but you need to kill me and then immediately grab my ring. Don't let him get to it first!"

Tears obscuring her vision, Ladybug lined up her shot before closing her eyes and pulling the trigger back harshly. She felt the gun rebound back into her hand with a wince and simultaneously heard the horrible sound of metal ripping through flesh. Ladybug felt several droplets of a hot liquid splatter against her suit as she stood frozen, eyes squeezed tightly shut. She wanted so badly to scream, to declare her loss to the heavens, but knew that to do so would only please Hawkmoth. Instead she turned towards the villain, opening her eyes to glare at him.

Hawkmoth began to clap slowly, relishing the fury of the girl in front of him. He took several careful steps forward, projecting confidence and arrogance. "Give me the ring now, little lady," he scoffed, lip curling at the pathetic sight that was the heroine. Blood splattered across her equally crimson suit, contrasting against her pale skin and traumatized blue eyes. He didn't even consider the possibility of what happened next, too certain was he of his victory. He had assumed that Ladybug would be too traumatized to pose a threat.

He was wrong.

Ladybug turned to Chat's corpse, pure rage drowning out her fear and guilt. She swallowed down the urge to vomit at the sight of Chat's limp body, refusing to look at the neat bullet hole in the side of his head, the wound still bleeding heavily. Instead she knelt and pressed a kiss to his cold lips, simultaneously slipping the ring off of his finger.

She met Hawkmoth's eyes evenly as she placed the ring on her finger, reveling in the terror that suddenly formed in his eyes.

"You will pay," she snarled, light pouring from her eyes as they turned pure white. She stalked forward as her new transformation wrapped around her in the form of absolute light and darkness. And then she lifted a hand before Hawkmoth, preparing to kill him. But before she brought the killing blow down upon the man, she grinned suddenly. Insanely.

She leaned forward and whispered something in his ear, enjoying how his eyes widened in shock just before his dying screams filled the air.  
And then she walked away from his corpse, eyes lighting up at the thought of the genocide she would inflict upon Paris.

"They will all pay for his death...and I will not stop until Paris has been razed to the ground."

* * *

 **It's short because I got super motivated and then I wrote Chat's death and got sad and didn't want to write anymore... :(**


	2. Number 2: Blank to Her Pain

**This is a place for me to write when I'm bored. THERE IS A REASON IT IS RATED T!**

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 **Guilty as Charged**

 **by thepeacockandthebutterfly**

 **Number 2: Blank to Her Pain**

He really needed to stop getting hit in battle.

His mind registered being struck by Hawkmoth's staff, sending him flying back several feet. He looked down at his hands, surprised to see them pulsing purple. The last thing he heard was Ladybug crying out his name before his mind began to cloud over, leaving him empty.

His feet began to step away from Hawkmoth, turning his body away. He went along, not fighting it. He couldn't think of a reason to stay anyways. But then there was a horrific cry from Ladybug ringing in the back of his mind.

She was screaming, he realized vaguely. But he continued walking away, mind fuzzy with the peculiar blankness. Why was she screaming? He slowed to a stop, mind telling him to look back at her, body telling him to continue moving. He fought with his neck for a moment before turning it slightly, just enough to see her out of the corner of his eye.

Ladybug hung from a pole, eyes streaming tears as she cried out. Hawkmoth moved his staff in an arc, bringing it whistling down onto her shoulder. A slick spray of blood shot upward before pooling on the ground. Another scream. Hawkmoth kept on bringing his staff down upon the girl, slashing her until a veritable rain of blood was pouring off of her. Her eyes were clouding over, the beautiful spark in them leaving. Replaced by dull agony and detachment.

But Chat's feet continued moving, bringing him farther and farther away from his lady.

 _YOU LOVE HER._ The voice in his head sounded like it was coming from far away, screaming at him that he was being stupid. Telling him to go back and save his lady because she was his world. She was everything. He considered it for a moment, finding no real compulsion to go back. Ladybug didn't make his heart dance anymore. Nothing did. He was just empty. He let his feet take him away, finding no good reason to stay back.

"CHAT!" Ladybug screamed, the piercing sound reaching through his foggy mind. He registered a twinge in his chest at the sound of her pain, an unusual pang of sadness.

He turned slowly, muscles protesting his movement back towards Hawkmoth, to see Ladybug crumpling to the ground, blood pooling around her in a macabre image. She was too still. Something inside of him broke at the sight, effectively silencing the tinny voice in his mind.

 _I'm sorry, my lady._ That last coherent thought filled his mind, a small reminder of who he was and why she had mattered. But then the magic warped him again, stealing away all that made him him. _I'm sorry._

His feet continued to carry him away.

* * *

 **I'm sorry for this...I couldn't kill off Marinette in Wings, so I took it out here. It's kind of short, but I've discovered that I really get into writing them until I kill off someone. Then I just feel sad...**


	3. Number 3: Drowned by Love

**Switching it up a little bit this time ;)**

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 **Guilty as Charged**

 **by thepeacockandthebutterfly**

 **Number 3: Drowned by Love**

Nino was running.

He liked running, always had. It was a good way for him to get some exercise...otherwise he'd be in his room all day. Also, he wasn't a huge fan of looking weak next to his buff best friend, Adrien.

His legs moved fluidly, striking the ground evenly and propelling him forward. Running was a beautiful thing to watch. His arms moved back and forth in a rhythmic motion, cutting through the air. And then he heard it, turning his head slightly to see what had happened.

There was a loud crash that boomed through out the air, sending an array of fiery spark shooting up into the air. A cloud of grey and white pigeons whipped up and into the air as well, distancing themselves from the clash in a flurry of feathers.

He kept running.

It wasn't like akumas were anything unusual in Paris anymore, he didn't understand why people freaked out so much. Sure they were loud and sometimes destructive, but honestly it wasn't anything new. Ladybug and Chat Noir always saved the day and fixed everything, so there was never anything to be worried about.

Even as he thought that a wave of pink and ladybugs circled around him and through the city, signaling the end of the akuma attack.

That was when the screaming started.

Nino stopped in his tracks, his shoes skidding against the pavement as he came to a sudden halt. Screaming was pretty typical as well, but it was usually the over-dramatized diva cries of some girl. This was terror that was ringing through his ears. Pure unadulterated fear that pulsed through the air in a rippling sound wave. And then the hoarse voice behind the shrieking became recognizable.

He was sprinting then, heading towards where the akuma had been, fearfulness seizing his heart.

"ALYA!" he screamed, skidding to a stop just in time to see Alya falling.

Her beautiful brown eyes were blown wide in horror as she scrabbled for the banks. Nino couldn't do anything to help, merely standing frozen, watching as Alya lost her grip and plummeted towards the river.

Falling.

Falling.

Falling.

 _SPLASH!_

Nino hurried to the river, looking frantically into the churning depths for a sign of bushy auburn hair. "ALYA!" he screamed, over and over again. It felt like his heart had ripped itself in half, trying to strangle him.

"No, no, no, no, no!" he shouted, rambling as he ran to the riverbank and waited, managing to barely grab the limp body out of the water. He struggled for a moment, finally deciding to leave Alya floating in the calmer shallow water by the riverbank.

"Alya, please stay with me," he pleaded, clutching her hand as she breathed raspily.

Water tinged pink frothed up at the corners of her lips as she rasped, trying to tell him something. "Ni...n-no," she whispered.

He bent over her form, leaning in to hear her words better. "What?"

"I...al-alw...ays...l-liked...y-you," she forced the words out, eyes beginning to glaze over.

Nino felt his eyes water up, tears slipping free to run down his cheeks. "I like you too, Al."

"I-m...s-so...s-so...rr-y, Ni...n-no."

And then her chest rose and fell one more time, the horrible wheezing sound of her dying breaths filling Nino's ears and drowning him in his misery. The moment her hand slacked in his grip, he felt pain like a bolt lancing his heart and squeezing his chest. _She's gone._

"ALYA!"

* * *

 **Not quite as horrifying or immediately heartwrenching, but painful to write and read at the same time.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	4. Number 4: Her Love-Stained Hands

**So far this is one of my favorite numbers.**

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 **Guilty as Charged**

 **by thepeacockandthebutterfly**

 **Number 4: Her Love-Stained Hands**

It was her hands that held the knife this time.

Never had she dreamed that this would be the way they would die. Not by her own hands.

But the knife was dangerously close to his neck, only a hairsbreadth away from touching his bobbing Adam's apple. Her hands moved again, purple glowing in her eyes as she fought against the will of Hawkmoth. The akuma yanked at her consciousness, forcing her hands to move forward again. Another small centimeter lost. Her knife was now gently touching his neck, drawing a very thin line of blood from his neck.

He looked up at her, emerald eyes trusting. He had faith that she would be able to break free of the akuma and save them both. But he didn't dare speak for fear that then his throat would be slit. Instead he tried to convey his love and trust through his eyes, giving her strength.

She breathed sharply, feeling the akuma pull at her draining resistance again. Gritting her teeth, she managed to not move the knife forward, instead moving it back ever so slightly. _Good,_ she thought.

"You can do it, m'lady," Chat whispered, feeling that the small distance between his neck and the blade was enough to risk speech.

Ladybug pulled the sharpened knife back again, gaining an inch of distance with a savage yank backwards. Her pupils were dilated, a faint sheen of sweat on her forehead. She panted, the concentration required for this draining her. She yanked back again, this time only pulling back by another centimeter. _I hope I can keep this up._

Power flared up then, turning her eyes to a glowing purple. The akuma had overpowered her for that moment, overcoming Ladybug's waning strength. The knife lunged forward, destroying all of her carefully gained space. The knife found its home in Chat's neck, sending a crimson spray up, splattering against Ladybug's similar color suit. Chat's form, eyes still wide with shock and pain, crumpled to the ground. Knife still buried in his throat and severing his spinal cord.

The purple bled away from the blue of her eyes then, violently, as Ladybug wrested control from the akuma again.

A scream rent the air.

Pain.

Misery.

And then Ladybug was there, eyes shining with tears, a faint ring of purple around them. She breathed once, hard, before bringing the knife up to lay against her heart. With one powerful thrust the knife was buried up to the hilt in her chest.

She let her tears slip down her cheeks as she mourned her partner, but she refused to let herself cry out in pain. She had caused this. _I deserve this pain. I killed him._

 _I failed._

She looked down at her hands one last time, even as her vision went fuzzy and she felt herself falling. Her costume had long since fallen away, leaving only the girl beneath. Her hands were slick, covered in a viscous fluid that she could not distinguish as that of her partner or her own.

Stained.

* * *

 **Not bad, I think. It started out better than it ended...eh these weren't meant to be 100% perfect!**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	5. Number 5: Killing for Her Love

**I'm alive!**

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 **Guilty as Charged**

 **by thepeacockandthebutterfly**

 **Number 5: Killing for Her Love.**

Everything.

All of these deaths.

All of the lives lost.

Everything that was sacrificed.

Everything that he had pushed away.

It was all for her.

* * *

Hawkmoth held his cane against Ladybug's throat, reveling in the secret knowledge of the sharp blade that he could pop out of the top of the cane. As it was, Ladybug's eyes were wide in surprise as she had expected a fair fight. She hadn't expected him to be waiting.

"Give me your miraculous, Hawkmoth," she demanded, voice surprisingly strong despite her fear. Hawkmoth had to admit that he was slightly impressed by her bravery, regardless of how stupid it was.

Hawkmoth smirked at her. "No. Give me **your** miraculous."

Ladybug's lips pulled up just slightly at the corners, not wanting to admit that Hawkmoth's attitude was amusing to her. "Never." She lunged for him, ducking under the cane and coming up with her yoyo spinning. She lashed out first, slicing at him with her yoyo.

"A feeble piece of string?" Hawkmoth asked as he easily caught the string between his fingers. He let a purple spark sputter to life and dance its way up the string, nearing Ladybug's hand. "It would be so easy to akumatize you like this..." Hawkmoth sent another spray of purple sparks out ward from his cane so that they flew into his butterflies, tainting them.

The first akuma soared towards Ladybug quickly, followed by its brethren. They charged the heroine, flooding her with their tainted magic.

Hawkmoth only looked on with a smile.

Then the remaining butterflies flooded off of Ladybug, revealing the heroine curled up in the fetal position on the dirty hardwood floor.

She looked up, panicked eyes flashing purple as she tried desperately to fight off Hawkmoth's control.

"Don't struggle, little lady, it will all be over soon," Hawkmoth purred, reaching out with his magic and controlling her limbs. A little puppet all of his own.

Ladybug smiled up at him, eyes glassy. She walked forward awkwardly, the smile gradually becoming more and more manic as her eyes glowed a brighter purple. "What can I do to serve?"

Hawkmoth moved Ladybug's arms upward so that she was positioned the way he wanted her. And then he handed her a sharp blade, the very one that he had concealed in the tip of his cane. With a slight motion of his head, Ladybug's hand moved in a sawing motion across her throat.

Crimson. There was a dull thud and a quiet squishing sound as Ladybug's lifeless body crumpled to the ground.

Hawkmoth walked over to the body and bent down, removing the earrings. And then he walked away, having obtained the first of the two most powerful miraculouses.

Bright coppery red blood splattered against the floor, staining the wood with the memory of a heroine's life. Ladybug's eyes were still open, still glowing an eerie purple.

But worst of all was her mouth, still stretched in a manic grin of glee. As if she had wanted this death.

* * *

 **I'm kind of testing out these ideas in case I ever want to flesh one of them out into a two-shot or something.**

 **Also, I really enjoyed writing this one even though it's not quite as good because I'm kind of having writer's block atm. I'm trying to write new chapters for Halfway Between Heaven and Hell and Waves, finish editing the first chapter of my new Rapunzel AU, and work on a little treat that I can't talk about because some of my Wings readers read this fanfic...;)**

 **Hope y'all enjoyed this one!**


	6. Number 6: Insane for Her

**Guilty as Charged**

 **by thepeacockandthebutterfly**

 **Number 6: Insane for Her**

His hand came away bloody, speckled with spots of crimson. But he reached back for her broken body, cradling her head gently. Again, blood trailed over his fingers in a lovely tide of ruby. Her blood, her life, her existence.

* * *

 _"I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears that streaked down her cheeks and washed away some of the dried blood there._

 _He choked at the sight of her, hanging from a rope, jagged cuts marking her slight cheekbones. "Why?"_

 _"Because I didn't love you sooner," she said in a pained sigh, a faint gurgle sounding from her throat just as she coughed, a faint mist of blood spraying from her mouth, "And now it's too late." Her eyes drifted upward, looking resigned._

 _He whipped his head upwards, staring at the rope. His eyes locked on the jagged fray where the rope was breaking just as it snapped. He took a step back instinctively as she fell, rope coming down with her._

* * *

"Why didn't I try to catch you?" he sobbed, burying his nose in her still soft hair and breathing in what remained of her sweet bakery smell.

He imagined he could hear her soft voice whispering in his ear. _"You also knew it was too late."_

His head was spinning then, the now overpowering scent of blood choking him in a tidal wave of deep crimson. "DON'T LEAVE ME!" he cried, speaking to the dead body he held in his arms, thinking that he could hear her.

It was like an image in his mind, a beautifully unblemished mirage of a person.

 _Her face, mouth smiling widely and fully showing off perfect white teeth. Her pink lips, full and kissable. Her cheeks, tinted a rosy blush from excitement. Her skin, pale and unblemished, perfect in all ways. Small hands that clutched the sides of a blue dress, the sundress swinging freely around her long legs. Dainty feet, clad in white sandals that crossed over her feet with small laces._

 _"Don't cry for me, Adrien," she laughed, mouth curving up delectably. She walked over to him through a foggy mist, sending the whisps swirling up around her feet and curling around her slender waist._

 _Her eyes, crinkled up in a smile, focused on him. With a peal of laughter she spoke again, "It's too late for me anyways...you saw to that, didn't you?" She giggled, eyes suddenly dulling and glazing over. Her skin paled further, turning almost blue. Red bloomed from her body like a gruesome flower, engulfing her in gore._

"No," he croaked out, eyes seeing something that wasn't there. He dropped her body limply and stood up, almost robotically in his movements. "No, no, no," he babbled, walking stiltedly forward.

 _The body continued to walk forward, mouth hanging open, showing blood dripping down her full lips. "But you could have caught me, you said so yourself!" The awful words were accompanied by another giggle, the dead girl stalking forward slowly. She placed her hands on his shoulders._

He felt pressure on his shoulders, saw her there before him. Her fingers were weaving the rope around his neck in an odd slipknot. "It hurts," he choked, feeling the rope tighten.

 _"It's okay, Adrien, love," she whispered into his ear, breath deathly cold, "I can make it all better." She pulled away, smiling macabrely, blood still dripping down the side of her pale skin._

And then he wasn't on the ground, only hanging from the rope that he had tied around his own neck. But all he saw was her sweet smile, her small hands carefully lifting him up.

 _She smiled again, eyes dulling further to black. Lifeless. "Too late." Her voice was sing-songy, mocking him. And then the blood swallowed her up and she fell to the ground._

Fear surrounded him in a thick wave, drowning him under his sheer panic. He had only mere moments to register it before he was falling, neck snapping gruesomely.

He hung from the rope, death holding him in its cold embrace.

 _"Too late."_

* * *

 **I kind of lost where I was going with this whoops! It's kind of creepy, but I hope you understood it enough to get WHY it was creepy.**

 **(Adrien hangs himself, but thinks it was Marinette because he had a crazed hallucination of her where she starts rotting away)**

 **I love you all!**


	7. Number 7: For One Day With You

**Technically this already exists as a one-shot called 24 Hours, but I thought all my death-loving readers of Guilty as Charged would enjoy.  
**

 **Warning: Contains enough angst to make a grown man cry.**

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 **Guilty as Charged**

 **by thepeacockandthebutterfly**

 **Number 7: For One Day With You**

 _24 hours._

 _24 hours left on this earth._

 _24 hours of breathing, living, experiencing all that life had to offer her._

 _24 hours with the people who mattered most to her; her friends and family._

 _24 short hours left...because time was running out for her._

* * *

Glassy-eyed, Marinette stared out of the window of the car, watching the street and stores pass by. As much as she didn't want to remember, her mind drifted back to the doctor's office that they had just left, replaying it over and over again in her mind.

* * *

 _"I am sorry, Marinette," the doctor said in a low voice. The timbre of her regular doctor's voice had once been comforting to her, as she was often sitting on a hospital bed, waiting for tests to be performed and returned, but now it was just a painful reminder._

 _Marinette sank to her knees, waiting for the tears to come. "Why? Why me?" Had her struggles in life not been enough already? Everyday since she was born she had been sheltered, hidden away from the world in fear that one day she would just die. Her friends had to be careful with her, forcing them to encounter inconveniences. She hated to see sympathy in their eyes, but she knew that, in the end, they loved her._

 _The doctor cleared his throat awkwardly, "As you know, you have a weaker immune system. Normally that would not be an issue as it is not so weak as to be dangerous, although you have had to be careful about germs and injuries. The issue is that you have contracted a much worse illness. Usually we would be able to treat the illness and even cure the patient of it, but your immune system has already begun to fail."_

 _"What does that mean for me?" Marinette whispered, feeling cold inside. She almost wanted to take back her question, but it was too late._

 _The doctor sighed, bringing one hand up to adjust his glasses that sat on the bridge of his nose. When he looked back at her, his kind brown eyes were sad and sympathetic. She immediately hated that look. "You have only about 24 hours left to live, Marinette. I'm so sorry."_

 _And with that she felt something crack in her heart._

* * *

 _Just 24 hours left. An internal clock that was slowly ticking away at her life._

* * *

A loud voice jolted Marinette out of her sleep, shocking her awake. She ran out to her balcony, not really sure what was going on. It was late at night, after all, she didn't understand why anyone would be here-

"Marinette?" Alya called up to her, standing below the balcony.

Marinette peeked over the edge, giggling at the sight of her friend down below. "What're you doing, Al?"

"Come on down!" Alya said, gesturing for Marinette to meet her down below.

Marinette hesitated for a moment, old cautious habits pressing in on her.

"Oh...sorry, I forgot," Alya's voice was more subdued now. Apologetic. Marinette instantly hated it. This wasn't how she wanted to spend her last day.

"NO! I'm coming!" Marinette called, staring determinedly down. She ran through the house as quietly as she could, wearing only a white t-shirt and blue jeans. She tried to tie her black-blue hair into pigtails, but decided that it wasn't worth it. Today was all about living her life to the fullest, making every second count.

She met up with Alya, giggling breathlessly. Marinette knew the other girl was probably staring at her incredulously, but she didn't care anymore. She didn't want to care about the little things, they weren't important anymore.

"Well...let's go, then!" Alya laughed, pulling Marinette along with her. Alya's hand was warm as it grasped Marinette's wrist, her smile full of youth and energy. She didn't know what it was like to be touched by the hand of death, to race against the clock of life.

But Marinette pushed those thoughts away, focusing on laughing with her friend. Feeling free and weightless for the first time in a long time.

 _Is this what life is about?_

* * *

 _12 hours down, 12 left. A timer that counted down her seconds of life, even the wasted hours spent lying in the warmth of her bed._

* * *

They met up with Adrien and Nino, the entire group laughing together as they walked along Paris's streets. Marinette noticed Adrien's curious glance at her, but she chose to not respond to his curiosity, instead moving forward. Her hand found Adrien's, the appendages slipping together naturally as if it had been this way forever.

Marinette tried to push down her racing heartbeat, to harden her heart. It was too late for her to have anything with Adrien, no matter how long she had wanted it. Wanted this. The ability to run with her friends, to hang out with them.

To live.

"Are you okay, Mari?" Adrien's soft voice reached her ears.

Marinette blushed hard, immediately becoming disgusted with herself afterward. _It's too late._ So she smiled up at him, ignoring her heartache. "I'm fine, Adri."

She missed the longing look directed at her from Adrien's grassy green eyes as she turned away. He had wanted to hold her hand like this for so long, to be close with her like this for so long. And he planned to savor this now that he had the chance. _I love you, Marinette._ Or whatever this sickening feeling was, as if he had been flipped inside out. The feeling that he would do anything for her, even die. _Is this love?_

They ran to a convenience store, grabbing an obscene amount of junk food and soda, piling it on the check-out counter and ignoring the glare of the worker standing behind it. Instead they laughed, lost in each other and their freedom.

When they went to lie down on a grassy hill, looking up at the starry sky, Marinette felt a sudden pang in her heart. _Have I wasted all my years on Earth? Wasted them hiding from a failure of my body that I could not control._ But she pushed away those thoughts, turning to smile at Adrien instead. Her eyes swept along the curve of his smile, staring at the obvious expression of happiness. Marinette longed to reach out, to trace the edges of his soft lips with her fingers and then maybe with her own lips, but she held down those urges. _It's too late_ , she reminded herself again, _much too late_.

* * *

 _2 more fleeting hours, her remaining time slipping through her fingers just like her regrets. Only 10 hours remained. It's too late._

* * *

Marinette led them to a party next, pushing for all the things she had missed. Her friends were only too happy to oblige, wanting her to experience everything. Her heart hurt at the thought of the next day, of them realizing that the night had been a beautiful dream. The end of something so pure and beautiful.

Alcohol burned her throat as she tossed her head back, swallowing the shot was a smooth motion. Everything was blurring now, waving together in beautiful ideas of her mind's creation. A grin broke out on her face as she danced wildly, letting her inhibitions fly away. Even hours before death, she felt freer than ever before.

"Mari!" a lower voice laughed throatily. The sound was masculine, but Marinette did not recognize it. She felt a warm hand press against her lower back, pulling her aside. Marinette stared up into emerald eyes...Adrien's eyes, she realized through her drunken haze.

"You're so beautiful," she whispered, managing to not slur her words. She watched, entranced, as Adrien's golden cheeks flushed pink at her words, a single word running through her mind: perfection.

He smiled sheepishly at her. "You're really drunk, aren't you?"

"If I told you I was dying, what would you say?" Marinette asked, this time slurring her words ever so slightly. Her sluggish mind began to panic too late, but her heart stilled when Adrien began to speak again.

"I wouldn't say anything," he whispered, a shadow crossing his normally bright eyes, "I would probably just cry." He pulled her into a tight hug, almost instinctively, and pressed his nose into her soft hair. He inhaled gently, absorbing her heavenly scent as he fought the suddenly overwhelming urge to just kiss her right there.

Marinette smiled up at him, feeling more clear-headed. The fuzziness abated, replaced with a sharp pain at the base of her neck. "Who's...drunk...now?" she managed to force out before she was falling, the darkness of unconsciousness swallowing her.

* * *

 _6 hours were all she had left. She spent her time without care, throwing it all away for one perfect day. One last chance to experience love, freedom, youth, and life._

* * *

"Marinette?" a chorus of concerned voices asked.

She opened her bright blue eyes, looking up at her friends that were crowding around her. They stood outside of the party's seedy location, having lain her down in a small patch of scraggly grass. "What happened?"

"You fainted," Adrien said, concern bleeding through his stoic façade. His face was cold, but his eyes were wet with tears. A pang went through her chest at the sight, wanting nothing more than to comfort him. "What the hell just happened, Mari?"

"I'm dying," she stated simply, wanting to relieve herself of the pressure on her chest. She smiled softly at the shock on her friends's faces, knowing that they could not understand why she was so complacent with the idea of her impending death. "I think I have about six hours left, actually."

Alya's face was pale, the pain of loss causing her to shy away. She sank to the ground, weeping bitterly. "I wondered why you were so okay with coming with us tonight," she choked out.

"You couldn't have done anything, Al," Marinette soothed, moving forward to hug Alya.

But Alya still shook her head. "We wasted all our time with you, Mari. Ever since the day we all met it has always been us, just the three of us." Regret filled Alya's throat to the point where she felt like she was choking on their lost opportunities.

* * *

 _Reality was pressing in on them, forcing them to open their eyes to the truth. They had 5 hours left together._

* * *

The little sit-in movie theater they went to next was trashy, run-down and cheap. But Marinette didn't care. Going to a movie theater was new to her, seeing the vivid images so close and so large right before her eyes.

Her fingers laced through Adrien's again, tightening on them slightly. Warmth ran up her arm when he squeezed back gently, carrying a rosy blush to her cheeks. _Thank god, he can't see my face._

An odd ache settled in her legs, making them feel as if they had fallen asleep. They didn't want to move, to respond to her mental commands. Marinette sucked in a breath, refusing to show her fear. She sighed, hoping that her body wouldn't give out before her time ran out.

Another squeeze from Adrien's slim fingers brought her back to the movie, bright blue eyes refocusing on the screen before them. Marinette attempted to listen to the plot, but the sickening sensation of aches blooming all over her body weighed her down.

* * *

 _Another 2 hours spent in the dark, clutching onto a lifeline to the light even as she fell._

* * *

Adrien smiled at Marinette, leading her to a small shop. "Pick something out," he said, smiling as he gestured to the interior of the little store.

Watches sat in large glass cases all over the store, all different shapes and colors. Analog and digital. Round and square. "Thank you," she breathed in awe. Marinette felt a fuzzy warmth build in her heart that was comforting. A sweet sensation that comforted her aching body. And she began to walk around the store, knowing all too well that the warmth was due to Adrien's thoughtful consideration.

As they left the shop, Alya and Nino talking and walking in front of them, Adrien turned to face Marinette. His pianist fingers gently touched Marinette's soft cheek, rubbing the velvety skin as he smiled cheekily at her. He leaned over, mouth barely touching the shell of Marinette's ear. His warm breath fanned against her ear, causing the baby hairs around Marinette's ears to flutter around lightly. "It's so beautiful..." he whispered in a teasing voice, "The watch, I mean."

Marinette stifled a giggle with her hand, eyes twinkling upwards at Adrien. The blond sucked a breath overtly, feeling himself falling into the sky blue orbs that were Marinette's eyes. _I love you, Marinette._

She looked at her wrist, the deep navy of the band contrasting heavily against her pale skin. The flashing numbers on the screen caused her to suck in a breath. 1 hour left, Marinette realized, feeling an ache form in her heart. She hadn't thought much about the fact that she was dying besides the sharp pain at the base of her skull and regretting missing all that life had to offer for her. Yet now it was spelled out for her in those flashing red letters. 1 hour left. She took a deep breath, fighting off the heavy fog that settled over her limbs and made her dizzy. Everything ached, now that she thought about it, even her body was pleading to fall to the ground and slip into an eternal sleep. Marinette, gritting her teeth, wasn't about to let that happen.

* * *

 _There was still an hour, the final minutes of her waning life falling away._

* * *

She ran, shoes slapping the pavement as she chased Alya and Nino down, clutching Adrien's wrist tightly. Her cheeks were spread in a forced grin, not wanting her friends to worry.

"Guys, wait up!" she called, laughing as they finally stopped and spun around to face them.

"Oh, sorry!" Nino said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand while the other was firmly in Alya's grasp.

Alya's free hand snaked into Marinette's free hand until the four of them were connected in a human chain. They began to run again, sprinting at odd intervals that always left someone tripping behind while being pulled forward by the others.

Laughs bubbled freely forth from Marinette's lips as they ran, the air caressing her cheeks and sending her hair flying back. Free to follow the wind currents. _This is what living truly is_ , Marinette realized.

They reached the bank of the Seine River, still laughing together as they hurtled towards the water. They surged into the river with a loud splashing sound that caused a miniature tidal wave to engulf them.

Marinette ran out, Alya close behind her. They shrieked as they ran, jokingly sprinting away from Adrien and Nino. Water dripped down off of their clothes, the garments plastered to their bodies by the liquid.

She had never felt so at peace.

Adrien caught up to Marinette easily, his long legs covering the distance between them. He swept Marinette up in his arms, spinning her around. Their eyes met, a beautifully heart stopping moment where the world stood still around them.

 _60..._

 _59..._

 _58..._

 _57..._

 _56..._

 _55..._

 _54..._

 _53..._

 _52..._

 _51..._

Lips crashing together, they molded together, sharing their warmth together. Marinette felt like she was on fire as Adrien kissed her, tongues dancing in an almost practiced motion. Adrien, similarly, almost felt like the whole thing was a dream. But their love was fire, burning away the fears that had separated them.

 _25..._

 _24..._

 _23..._

 _22..._

 _21..._

 _20..._

They broke apart, Marinette staring at Adrien with a dazed expression on her face. Pure bliss glowing on her porcelain feature as she smiled at him. They were in their own bubble for tantalizing moments, but then Marinette crumpled to the ground.

 _15..._

Marinette looked up at her friends weakly, Alya and Nino having rushed over to over assistance. "Thank you for living, for showing me today," she whispered, voice low as to keep down the tide of pain that was rushing over her.

 _10..._

 _9..._

 _8..._

"We were too late, Adrien," she whispered in a choked voice, smiling at him sadly, "But know that I have always loved you."

 _5..._

 _4..._

Adrien grinned through his suddenly tear-filled eyes at Marinette, kneeling to kiss her once more. "I love you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Their lips connected again chastely, a mere brush of skin against skin. Beautiful and simple, just like them.

And then time ran out.

* * *

 _All beautiful things must come to an end, for that is how life is. And this time it was a solitary life, a bright spark of energy and youth that faded into darkness. Yet it was not sad about its departure. There was only regret for having not lived before it died._

 _And love was there to cradle the dying ember, leading the soul out of one life and into the next._

* * *

Adrien looked down at Marinette's wrist, teary eyes locking on the brand-new watch he had purchased for her. Through his tear-blurred eyes, he noticed that the watch had stopped telling time. As if it had only been there to count down the seconds before the ember turned to ash.

* * *

 **Sort of a softer angsty death one-shot though...I hope it was a nice change from the typical horror gore-y stuff with that collection!**

 **SHAMELESS PROMOTION TIME!**

 **(go check out 24 Hours and leave your sweet reviews there! Also check out Locks of Ebony and Gold. And Wings (which is completed if you prefer completed fics). And Halfway Between Heaven and Hell which has a slower updating schedule)**


	8. Number 8: Broken Beyond Repair

**Guilty as Charged**

 **by thepeacockandthebutterfly**

 **Number 8: Broken Beyond Repair**

He had almost fallen off the Eiffel Tower...again.

Ladybug walked over to him and slapped him, leaving a red mark on his face. "Don't EVER do that again, Chat!" she screamed at him, tears running down her cheeks.

She turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her close, hugging her. "I'm sorry, m'lady," he whispered into her hair, feeling her quiver as her body was racked by sobs.

He saw the real fear of losing him in her eyes, and hated that he had been the one to hurt her. And internally he promised himself that he would never commit suicide, there were too many people he would hurt in the process.

But little did he know that Ladybug herself would place him at the edge once again.

* * *

He stood at the top, gazing down below, heart still aching from Ladybug's rejection. Chat Noir leaned over the edge, testing his balance, wondering what it would feel like to fall. To let his body be caught up by the wind as he fell and fell until he could fall no more. And only then would he hit the ground, eyes closing for the final time.

 _"Chat Noir, how delightful to see your pain,"_ a sinister voice whispered into his thoughts, _"I can take your pain and make it strength. Do you accept?"_

He felt like he was floating. Chat Noir didn't want to say yes, but his voice rang in his ears when he did regardless. "Yes, Hawkmoth."

 _"Then fly away to destroy her, Chat Blanc. Don't stop until nothing remains of Ladybug."_

* * *

His eyes were cold. No longer the warm grassy orbs that glowed when he spoke, instead replaced by glassy emeralds that showed no emotion. He was cold now, body coated in tight white leather as he stood before her.

"Chat..."

"That's my name, Ladybug, don't wear it out," he said with a cruel twist to his mouth, mocking her.

She missed him calling her 'M'lady.' Ladybug hadn't thought she would ever miss it, but somehow she did.

She reached for the yoyo at her side, snapping it out and beginning to spin it slowly. "I'm sorry, chaton, I should've saved you."

"The only thing you did was break my heart, Ladybug, and I will never forgive that," he snarled, "you took the only thing that gave me hope away from me."

Ladybug lowered her head in guilt, knowing all too well the truth of his words. "I loved Chat Noir, but he isn't you anymore."

"Chat Noir was a weak fool, I'm stronger now."

She looked up, cerulean eyes filling with emotion. "So be it."

And she charged forward. bringing her yoyo around in an arc of deadly light just as he leapt upward, extending long curved claws from her fingertips.

They connected, searing through skin and muscle, slicing through even bone, and leaving behind only the tattered remains of bodies.

They hit the ground at the same time, husks of what they had been. Husks of the love they once had.

"I'm so sorry, chaton."

"I as well, m'lady."

* * *

 **This story is a little jagged, whoops, but it was fun to try to get back into the swing of this story. I hope you all enjoy!**


	9. Number 9: Saved for the Future

**Guilty as Charged**

 **by thepeacockandthebutterfly**

 **Number 9: Saved for the Future**

Blood dripped from his temple down the side of his face, hot and sticky.

Soft fingers gently wiped at the crimson fluid, dangling in front of his face coated in red.

"Your blood is so pretty," the blurry figure before him cooed, "so bright." The figure brought their fingers to their lips, sucking gently until all of the blood was gone. Smiling widely, red staining their otherwise perfectly white teeth. "You're so pretty," they mused, staring right at him.

He coughed, choking slightly on the blood that blocked his windpipes. "W-why?" he managed to croak.

The figure leaned in closer, revealing a round female's face. Rounded cheeks, button nose, full lips, and huge eyes...she was stunning. But those blue orbs that were mounted in her face were what he focused on.

 _They're like flowers._

* * *

 _Laughing surrounded him, the gay sound of childish innocence and humor._

 _A girl, with an adorable face, fell to the ground into a patch of bright blue flowers. Pollen flew up around her, a pale yellow cloud that surrounded her. She tried to get up, but collapsed, limbs beginning to twitch. Her face blued as she choked, the pollen working into her bloodstream and destroying her._

 _She coughed, blood spewing from her pouty pink lips. Her big brown eyes locked with his, pleading and desperate. He could only watch in horror as a seed of blue bloomed within her irises and overwhelmed the lovely brown._

 _Electric blue eyes. The same shade as the poisonous flowers she had fallen into._

* * *

"Do you remember me now?" she giggled, carding her fingers through his hair.

His eyes cleared a little bit until he could make out the angles of her face. The gentle slope of her nose and the upward curve of her eyes. "What happened to you?" he rasped.

"I died," she said softly, blue eyes clouding over slightly, "those flowers released a fatal toxin into my airways. I died...but I came back for you." She said these last words with a breathtaking smile.

"Why me?"

She brushed his hair away from his forehead, the locks partially damp and sticky with drying blood. "You are dying," she whispered, leaning in so that her lips brushed the shell of his ear.

He shuddered. "Is it true? Am I really dying?"

"You were," she smiled, an empathetic feeling emanating from her, "but I was able to protect you, Adrien. And someday you will do me a favor in exchange for your life." She leaned over and pressed a kiss on his forehead, soft lips brushing against his skin.

Warmth radiated from the spot, sending tingles throughout his body. Strength entered him again, allowing him to stand. He brought a hand to his face, realizing that the oozing wound had healed over, leaving no trace of its prior existence. "H-how?" he stuttered, continuing to touch his face in disbelief. But when he looked around, he realized that the girl was gone. She had faded.

He looked at the ground around him, noticing that flowers had sprung up where his blood had touched the ground. Bright blue flowers. The same flowers that he had seen in her eyes.

* * *

 **I guess this isn't straight up gory, but it's a little bit creepy so :)**


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